What About Kiyone
by Priest
Summary: A story inspired by Breakfast in Bed by Steve Laird. His story cam be found at /old under L-M for Steven Laird.and is done with his permission.
1. Prolog

This is my first fan fic so please be patient.  
  
Insert standard disclaimer here.  
  
  
The only characters I own are of my own creation.  
You will know who they are when you read their sides of the story.  
  
My story is based on the ova and movies so as to include Kiyone.  
It involves Kiyone's relationship to Mihoshi (not to mention Tenchi and the other cast members) and why she wasn't in the ova, except for the Mihoshi special.  
  
And now the story: What About Kiyone? A supplement to breakfast in bed by Steve Laird.  
  
Prolog: The ceremony  
  
The man studied the circle of power that was drawn on the floor in blood, his blood. It had taken several months to complete it. Bleeding him self slowly, a little at a time so that he would not die from blood loss not before the ceremony at least.   
  
"Goddesses I hope this works." He whispers under his breath.   
  
Adjusting his swords and other devices he steps in to the circle, careful not to step on any of the lines lest he break one and ruin the circle. Once in the center he takes out a black Zippo type lighter igniting the flame. He then turns to the first candle and begins the first part of the ceremony. After the candles were lit he turns to the incense he lights each with the candle behind it.   
  
As he does so he whispers out a small prayer,   
  
"Blessed be child of fire," he draws in a breath and continues   
"Blessed be child of air," then blow out the flame, and as he places it in the burner he ends it with, "blessed be child of earth."  
  
He then gets down on his knees sitting on his feet in the Japanese fashion, carefully repositioning his black trench coat and weapons, adjusts his 1920's gangster stile hat so that the brim is low over his face. He draws in another deep breath and reaches for the dagger.   
  
He had made this dagger himself it was made from the rarest wood he could find. Carving it out by hand shaping the blade and hilt to mach the one in his dream. He had then inlaid it with the most complex mathematical formula he could think of in the purest silver. Finishing it off by placing three gems in the pommel; a sapphire, a ruby, and a black pearl, in an inverted triangle.   
  
Somehow he had managed to make the wooden blade razor sharp.  
  
It felt good in his hand. Placing the blade on his left palm he starts to chant,   
  
"Magic, magic, do as I will."  
  
Repeating the line continuously to build up the magical energy. When enough power was available he dragged the blade across his hand, cutting deep. As the blood wells up from the wound he places the hilt of the dagger on the wound grasping it tightly steadying it with his right. He then switches to his prayer:  
  
"By the blood and life I sacrifice, take me to them."  
  
"Through darkness and light, take me to them."  
  
"Open the gate between worlds and take me to them."  
  
"From this world to theirs, take me to them."  
  
He repeated the prayer as he plunged the dagger into his gut, bringing his senses sharply in to focus. Life was leaving his body, he felt it drain away. When it was almost gone the dagger began to glow brightly. Then the blood circle of power lit up from the center to the outside edge, and then there was a blinding flash of light.   
  
Life returned to him slowly, a little at a time. When enough strength returned, he looked around. That's when he saw her, she was one of them. Boy did she look pissed. Turning on the *universal translator* that he had made, praying it worked. He stood up pulling the dagger out of his gut, took a breath and said with a grin of pure joy tempered with an immense amount of pain,   
  
" Greetings Detective first class Kiyone." 


	2. Tenchis' Call

Chapter one: Tenchi's call  
  
Kiyone had just finished getting dressed for her "job" when the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?" She said as she put the phone up to her ear.  
  
"This is Tenchi, can I speak to Mihoshi?" Tenchi asks  
  
"Is anything-wrong Tenchi?" asks Kiyone "you never call this early in the morning".  
  
"No, nothing wrong. I just need to talk to Mihoshi for a couple of minutes" says Tenchi.  
  
"I'll get sleeping beauty; in just a second" says Kiyone.  
  
Kiyone walks into their room and kneels down next to her "partner" and gives her a shake.  
  
"Mihoshi wake up"  
  
"Just a little more sleep please Kiyone"  
  
"No, Tenchi is on the phone and he wants to talk to you."  
  
"WHAT" Mihoshi screamed and then in her typical way she try's to get up and run to the phone all at the same time.   
  
Kiyone gets up, walks over to her dresser and picks up her control cube and gives it a twist that converts it to credit card size. Then her shoulder harness for her pistol and puts it on. As she checks the charge on her "modified" GP pistol she hears Mihoshi scream. Running out of their room she points her pistol out into the living room, and sees Mihoshi just sitting there chatting away with an expression that was happy but curious. Walking up to her partner she hears Mihoshi's "OK".  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Tenchi asked me to sleep over tonight. Something about a girls festival tomorrow, He said he wanted to show his appreciation for the lady's in his life." Replied a stunned Mihoshi.  
  
"Oh, ok." Sounding a little down. Glancing at her watch she sees what time it is.   
  
"Hay, hurry up and get dressed or were gonna be late for work again. We can't afford to lose another job."  
  
Mihoshi gets up and goes to the bedroom. Coming out again quicker than usual, she walks to the door to their apartment.  
  
"Ok let's go." Mihoshi says opening the door.  
  
Putting on her coat as she goes out the door Kiyone thinks to her self "were gonna be early for once" and grins. 


	3. Under Cover

Chapter 2: Under cover  
  
  
Kiyone closed the door to their apartment with a sigh. Today had started out ok, and Mihoshi hadn't had any "accidents" all day. In fact Mihoshi had performed flawlessly, just like the good old days. Mihoshi wasn't always a "bubble head" as Washu had once called her. She was the only person to out perform her in the academy. Which wasn't all that surprising considering Mihoshi was the one who invented the probability cubes that are now standard issue to all GP members. Mihoshi had left the science academy (and Washus' classes) for a more direct approach at helping people. After graduation they were made partners because they had worked so well together, using Mihoshi's insane form of luck and her own knack for tracking even the most elusive of perps. Back then Mihoshi only used the "bubble head routine" as a cover when on an investigation. It never really back fired until the ultra high-energy incident. It took the Galaxy Police three months to hear that she was still alive and come back and get her.   
  
Then it happened, the investigation that had changed everything.  
  
Kiyone was going deep undercover. In order to throw off the Syndicate they were going to "kill off" detective first class Kiyone, the syndicate wouldn't doubt her ID. Unfortunately she was ordered not to brief Mihoshi.   
  
An informant had alerted the GP of a shipment of some valuable but unknown cargo. Kiyone and Mihoshi were put on the task force. The plan went like clockwork. Kiyone and Mihoshi arrived before the rest of the "task force" and it looked as if the deal was just coming to a close. So Kiyone, according to the plan, told Mihoshi to call for backup and proceeded into the warehouse to arrest the syndicate.  
  
"Galaxy Police, freeze your all under arrest!" She said as came down through the skylight.  
  
Mihoshi busted in a side entrance just in time to see the syndicates' blasts riddle Kiyone with holes.  
  
"KIYONE, NO!" Mihoshi screamed.   
  
When the task force arrived the medic (trying very hard not to look at the carnage Mihoshi had created in a fit of rage) went straight to Kiyone and Mihoshi, and checked Kiyone. The nano-doc's would keep her alive for a few days, even through an autopsy.   
  
"I'm sorry Mihoshi, she's to far gone. I'm sorry theirs nothing that can save her. There is just too much damage. It can't be fixed." He said with a sad look in his eyes. When he finally worked up the nerve to look around. He saw several piles of shredded meet, arms, legs, and crushed skulls. There were only one or two suspects still alive and the agent that had managed to get out of the building.  
  
Mihoshi just sat there whispering repeatedly "don't leave me Kiyone, I don't know what I'll do without you, please don't go away, please…." As she stared off into space.  
  
Kiyone was aware of all of what was happening and was pissed that she couldn't have let Mihoshi in on the plan. Her superiors had wanted an honest reaction from Mihoshi, so that the syndicates' thugs would believe the story of her death. She hadn't known how much Mihoshi had cared for her until later when she'd heard that they had put Mihoshi in the psyche-ward for evaluation and counseling.   
  
It wasn't until much later that she had found out that the brilliant but slightly accident-prone friend had "died" that day, leaving behind a walking disaster area with the gods own luck, a determination to do what was right, an extremely keen sense of observation, and an unstoppable cheeriness. The "bubble head routine" was no longer an act; it made her sick to know that she was responsible.  
  
To top it all off Mihoshi did not remember any thing after the Ultra-high Energy Matter Incident, that was probably a good thing because she did not like seeing Mihoshi in pain like that.  
  
The nano-doc's performed flawlessly; patching her up and giving her a new look for the investigation. They had made her up to look like a half Juraian, she noted as she looked in her mirror. Her lavender hair and reddish-purple eyes, almost the color of the Juraian Royal Teardrop. And then she looked at her orange headband it looked out of place on her new look, but she refused to stop wearing it. It indicated her rank and social status among the people of her home world, besides Mihoshi is the one who had bought it for her when she had earned it. Her mother had wanted Kiyone to rule, as she had, but she had supported Kiyones' decision to join the GP.  
  
The Marshal himself issued her the latest ship to come out of GP's R & D division; they had included several "illegal for civilian use" items in its design. The cruiser had military grade weapons: high powered particle beam and ion cannons, torpedo tubes, military grade shields and armor plating, an advanced electronics/ECM package. The most amazing thing about the Yagami was that it was the smallest ship to ever be equipped with a hyper drive, other than the pirate ship Ryo-ohki, although hyper drives later became standard on all GP ships. It's what got her into the syndicate clan they were after, which had included not only Juraians and people from the Alliance but people from some of the non-allied worlds as well. The eternally most wanted criminal Kagato and the space pirate Ryoko were also tied in somehow as well. It was not until later that she learned that Ryoko had been Kagatos' unwilling slave.  
  
The position she'd gotten from the syndicate was as an official government courier for one of the Non-Allied Worlds, which meant diplomatic immunity. They had figured that it would be a good cover since she was a new face, she wouldn't attract attention to them selves. Kiyone had to suppress a laugh when she'd heard that last part. What she was really just a high speed, private taxi and smuggler for the syndicate.  
  
The whole time she watched Mihoshis' career go down the tubes, until she was assigned to patrol a region close to Juraian space near colony world 0315, a non-interference zone in the middle of nowhere.  
  
Then the Kagato incident occurred and Mihoshi was reassigned to patrol the non-interference zone as a special ambassador to Jurai. Kiyone thought it was a strange way to keep Mihoshi away from the rest of the galaxy, and it wasn't the kind of promotion such a feat deserved, she should have been sent to Headquarters, not given some made up tittle and kept in exile. It was interesting to note that Ryoko was staying on the colony world with the permission of (and if the rumors were true, with) the Jurai royal family.  
  
The only reason she learned that much was because she had mentioned in an encoded transmission with headquarters that she would like to resume her partnership with Mihoshi when she completed her current assignment.  
  
A year after that they finally brought down the syndicate. Kiyone was returned to her original appearance and given some time off to get reacquainted with her family. They gave her the Yagami free and clear, it was officially listed as being privately owned by her with a special permit for the weapons (as long as she worked with the Galaxy Police) and a GP registration code. 


	4. Kiyone's Burning Bridges

Chapter 3: Kiyone's burning bridges  
  
  
Kiyone wasn't certain what to do next; Mihoshi was usually the one to come up with the ideas for entertainment. But Mihoshi was over at Tenchi's tonight, and would be all day tomorrow to. I'm loosing Mihoshi again, she thought to her self.   
  
"At least he's a nice boy, he loves her as much as he does the other girls. He'll take good care of her for me," she said to her self," I wonder if they will let her stay in the Galaxy Police once she's a queen of Jurai?"  
  
"Will I be allowed to stay around her and the others? Around Tenchi?" she asked her self.  
  
Kiyone shuddered and hugged herself, and with a sneer she laughs at herself.   
  
"Tenchi is just a kid, to young for me to be interested in, and he doesn't have an interest in me any way. He would have invited me over tonight as well if he did." She scolded herself then a thought went through her mind, "Wouldn't he?"  
  
Kiyone went to the fridge and got out the left over take out, ate and went to watch some TV. After a few hours she got up walked into the bedroom and packed her things. She then packed Mihoshi's things. She then went into the bathroom and took a shower and got ready to sleep. As she got into bed she said to herself, "I'll take Mihoshi her stuff tomorrow night, after she's had a good time with the others."  
  
The next day Kiyone got up got dressed and went in to her part time job, even though she wasn't scheduled to work. She could have called in what she had to say but she wanted to do this in person.  
  
"Hey Kiyone what are you doing here today? I thought I gave you and Mihoshi the day off?" Mr. Yoshi her boss asked.  
  
"You did sir, but I've come in to say that it was nice to have worked for you, but I have decided to return home, so I'm letting you know in person that I'm quitting." Kiyone said with a touch of sadness in her voice.  
  
"I'm truly sorry to hear that, you and your girlfriend were two of my best investigators," he said then added with a chuckle " inspite of the little accidents."  
  
"What, Mihoshi is not my girlfriend. We have been friends for a very long time so it might seem like it, she is more of a sister than any thing else. No one back home would believe that the two of us would work so well together, I wish I had not yelled at her so much though, she might think that my leaving was some how her fault. Any way it was nice working for you, maybe I will come visit some time."  
  
"Well I'm sorry to see you go, here let me get you your last check." He said  
  
"No just give it to Mihoshi for me, she's staying here." Kiyone interrupted.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure"  
  
Later on that day, Kiyone returned to their apartment to finish packing and cleaning things up. She then went down to the managers' office and paid up on the rent they owed and informed them that they were moving out the next day. Upon returning to their apartment, Kiyone fixed herself something to eat, and she turned on the radio.   
  
Awhile later she noticed that it had gotten dark.  
  
"It's your last night on earth you might as well live it up detective." She told herself.  
  
She changed into one of her favorite outfits, dug out her Control Cube, gave the cube a few twists sending her and Mihoshi's things up to the Yagami, and left the apartment key in the managers' mailbox on her way out to her favorite karaoke bar.  
  
As she walked down the street she thought of all the things she had been through since she had come to the earth. The journey to Jurai had to be one of the most harrowing times; finding out that there was an impostor on the throne. Or more surprising was the fact that not only was Kagato still alive, but also was an outcast prince of Jurai's royal family that had gone quite mad for the power of the "Jurai energy". They had almost lost Ryoko then, if Nagi hadn't found her on the brink of death and nursed her back to health they would have. Or the time they had to travel back in time to save Tenchi's mother from A-1 class criminal KAIN. Or the time little Miyuka came into their lives. Then there was the time they found out just how serious Riyokos' love for Tenchi really was when they almost lost him to Haruna, Ayeka and Ryoko haven't really had any serious fights since.   
  
Kiyone then realized how she really felt about Tenchi.  
  
"It's ridiculous, how can I be in love with him he's just a boy. And it's obvious he does not care about me, or he would have had me come and stay over with Mihoshi last night." She told her self.   
  
"How could he have known I was even interested, not with all the other girls doing every thing they could to get his attention and prove how much they loved him even Sasami was sending out signals that she was interested. And I never gave any indication that I might want something more than just his friendship, Ryoko and Ayeka would have torn into me if I had."  
  
Just then she felt that peculiar tingling sensation that told her that something serious was about to happen. Reaching in to her purse she readied her GP special, she practically jumped out of her skin when her "watch" (a standard GP threat/criminal proximity alarm/radar) went off. It told her that it had detected a "highest level special threat" energy discharge just 50 yards ahead and to the right of the path that she was on.  
  
"Special threat, there hasn't been one of those for over 5000 galactic standard years, stopping this will get me promoted for sure. Standard procedure says I am supposed to alert HQ of this, so here it goes,"   
  
Kiyone says as she presses a button on her earring,   
  
"Detective First class Kiyone to Yagami, come in Yagami."  
  
"Go ahead Kiyone this is Yagami." Her ships' computers' AI interface replied.  
  
"Alert HQ that I just picked up a highest level special threat energy discharge, I'm going to investigate. Kiyone out." She said just before switching the unit off.  
  
Looking around her she walks up to the alley, peeks around the corner, and sees nothing but another alley crossing the one she is looking down. Half way down the alley, pulls out her probability cube and gives it a few twists to change into her combat uniform. She whips around the corner, facing the fading energy signal, and sees a man appearing to be in his late 20's, dressed all in black, from the combat boots to hat. His hands were covered in blood, the left supporting his weight against the wall as he struggled to remain standing; the other was pulling a wooden dagger out of his bleeding stomach. He looked up and saw Kiyone standing there. Kiyones' wrist com indicated that he was definitely the source of the fading energy signature that had set off her alarm.  
  
With a smile that failed to hide the pain he was obviously feeling he said, "Greetings Detective First Class Kiyone." 


	5. Secret Messages

Chapter 4: Secret messages  
  
  
Kiyone was curious how this person knew her name, but wasn't about to let it interfere with her job.  
  
"Freeze you're under arrest, put down your weapons and surrender," she said firmly then yelled, "NOW!"   
  
"I do surrender Miss Makibi, but I will not give up my weapons. I have something very important I need to do," he said adding "besides I am kind of in the need for medical attention right now so would you take me to the Lady Washu please."  
  
"I said put down your weapons, and I mean it," she said as her expression softened, "then you will be transported up to the Yagamis' medical room."  
  
"Fine, but we are taking my weapons with us, they cant be allowed to fall into the hands of the locals," he said as he knelt down and began removing a small arsenal from his trench coat, "just do me a favor, and destroy the circle when we leave."  
  
Kiyone holstered her pistol and pulled out her cube and started giving it a few twists saying,   
  
"Fine here we go."  
  
First the weapons, then the other equipment, then him and finally she threw an incendiary grenade at the circle, destroying all trace of it, before transporting her self to the Yagami.  
  
  
Earlier that night at a house near a lake beneath an ancient shrine:  
  
Tenchi was in the storage shed when Ryo-ohki found him.  
  
"Meya?"  
  
"Ryo-ohki, what are you doing here?" Tenchi asked scratching the back of his head nervously.  
  
"Meya, Meya" she said as she pointed at a basket of carrots.  
  
"Go ahead and have a carrot, Ryo-ohki can you take me to the Yagami without the others finding out?" Tenchi asked  
  
Ryo-ohki nodded with a look of curiosity.  
  
"Good I have to get this done before Kiyone goes on patrol."  
  
Ryo-ohki transforms and beams Tenchi and his bag on board, then heads off to the Yagami.  
  
A while later on the Yagami:  
  
"How is the prisoner doing Yagami?"  
  
"It's a good thing you transported him straight to the med-lab, he would not have survived much longer otherwise."   
  
"How long before he can be interrogated?"  
  
"That's hard to determine, 90% of the damage has been repaired. However; something seems to be interfering with the regeneration tank and further healing seems to be ineffective." Yagami replied, " I am manually repairing and bandaging the wound for now. You can question him when he regains consciousness. I'll place him in a containment field shielded cell."  
  
"Yagami, start up the engines and plot us a course to Headquarters" Kiyone said.  
  
"Sorry Kiyone, but I am unable to comply with your request." Yagamis' AI unit replied as it dropped out of the ceiling.  
  
"WHAT! Why the hell not, and it had better be good."  
  
"Prince Tenchi has ordered me not to let you leave the area until after you have read the scroll he brought for you and have given him a response." Yagami replied.  
  
"When was this and why didn't you notify me that he was onboard?"  
  
"He arrived here a little over one and a half hours ago on Ryo-Ohki, he requested that you not be alerted," came the reply "he said that it was to be a surprise, something about a girls festival."  
  
I wonder what he wants, wasn't the girls' festival the reason he had invited Mihoshi over last night? Kiyone thought to her self.  
  
"Is Ryo-ohki still here?"  
  
"No, Ryo-ohki departed approximately one half hour ago."  
  
As Kiyone walked around her command chair she saw a simple wooden tray with her name on it, with a glass of orange juice, a small pot of tea that smelled of mint and algoth a fruit from her home world, a covered serving dish, and the scroll. Sitting down, she reached for the scroll, brushing her hand up against the teapot, feeling the heat radiating from it.  
  
Looking up at Yagami Kiyone asked the unit, "Have you been keeping this stuff warm for me?"  
  
"No, everything is just as Prince Tenchi left it."  
  
"If it has been here for half an hour, it should be cold by now."  
  
"Prince Tenchi placed it there just five minutes ago, so it should still be warm. You should read the scroll now Kiyone."  
  
Kiyone untied the emerald green ribbon, unrolled the scroll and began to read:  
  
"No matter what you do, I will always want to know where you are and what you are doing? Thinking, and feeling for the rest of my life. There are no words, that can express what is in my Head and Heart."  
  
"I wish you could read my mind, then all doubt would be gone forever, because you would know, what a big part of me you are. I would gladly die for you anytime."  
  
"That is easy to say, but I have to take the harder path. To live day by day to show you through Action, the true depth of my commitment towards you."  
  
"Mistakes will be made in the future. But always remember this day, and the reason behind the Mistakes will become clear."  
  
"Even though you are one of the newer members of my little family you mean as much to me as any of the others with your quiet strength and dedication." Kiyone lost the fight to keep back a tear and wiped it off her cheek.  
  
"Would you like me to serve you tea now, Miss Kiyone?" Tenchi asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Ah, sure Tenchi. Why didn't you go with Ryo-ohki back to the house? Why did you come all the way out here, I would have come to the house with Mihoshi." She asked as she turned her head to look up at Tenchi.  
  
"I thought it would be better this way, I have some questions I need answers to and I don't think any one else can do that." He says as he lifts up the teapot and reaches for the teacup. As he pours the tea he continues, "I mean Ayeka, Ryoko, and Washu would all put their own slant to the answer they give. Grandpas' answers are all so enigmatic I might as well have asked about the meaning of life. Father, well he helped me set this all up, but he has no way of knowing the answers to my questions. Sasami will end up telling the other ladies that I was asking these questions, and so would Mihoshi. And they all would immediately jump to the wrong conclusions as to why I was asking. So I decided to have your part of the festival here so that we could talk without any interruptions."  
  
"So what do you want to know, Tenchi?"  
  
"Tell me about the customs and laws I should know about on Jurai and the rest of the planets that I'll have to deal with as a prince of Jurai, and especially courtship and marriage laws and customs."  
  
"That is a lot of information and I can see why you wouldn't want to ask the others. Well here it goes…"  
  
On another part of the ship:  
  
The first thing to go through his mind is that he still is, and that thought brings with it the awareness of the pain. It is not as bad as it was but it is still there.  
  
"Good I'm still alive." He mumbles to himself   
  
The words having been said brought with them other sensations, the throbbing headache, the stiffness in his joints, and the tingling sensation of energy emanating from the floor. Sitting up and looking around reveals to him that he is suspended a foot and a half off the floor, and away from the walls and ceiling, by an energy field.   
  
"This may have stopped others from escaping from one of these cells but it won't stop me." He said to himself with a grin.  
  
Standing up, he walked over to where the cell entrance was and began tracing a circle along the surface of the energy field. His finger, covered in blood from his wounded side, crackling with the energy sparks as he moved it along the surface.   
  
"Energy is energy no matter what form it takes, technological, magical, or as matter." He said in a low voice as his finger reached its starting point.   
  
He opened his eyes in time to see the field inside the circle flicker out of existence and stepped through and out of the cell.  
  
Back on the bridge…  
  
"So you're saying I don't have to choose between you because of the ratio of women to men is approximately ten to one, which made group marriages not only legal but mandatory, with the minimum being two women to one man, right?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"You know, I never really thought about it, but you're right, but you forgot that due to the life spans of the average Galactic are so long a few centuries between marriages are allowed. I wonder why Ayeka, Sasami, or Yosho never mentioned this to you. It would have saved us all a lot of problems." Kiyone replied.  
  
"Yes, it would have, a long time ago." Tenchi said thinking of Ayeka and Ryoko.  
  
"So you have decided to accept the responsibility of your heritage?"  
  
"I don't really have a choice, and I just recently figured out what that my mother said to me the last time before she died."  
  
"What was it she said? If it wasn't to personal, I would like to hear it."  
  
"She said to me that seven ladies would come into my life and that unless I tied them to me with the strongest of bonds all would be lost, but I must be very careful not to hurt them for their hearts would be fragile and there tempers volatile. She also indicated that if I failed I would never find my destiny and more than I knew would be lost, for it will never have existed. What I still don't understand is the part about the one who knows the ancient ways would sacrifice the greatest gift to bond me to them and that one would be asked to give a replacement to this person cloaked in black with wounds that could not be healed."  
  
"What do you mean seven ladies? There are only six of us here with you."  
  
"There is an in coming transmission Kiyone." Yagami said before Tenchi could say any thing in response to Kiyones' words.  
  
"Putting it on screen."  
  
Washu's face came in to being in front of them.  
  
"Why hello there Tenchi, Kiyone did you pick up an unusual energy reading a little while ago?" Said Washu.  
  
"Yes, I did, little Washu, I have the one responsible in a containment field in the brig. He knew my name and asked to be taken to you. I had expected more resistance considering the energy readings, Yagami is the prisoner well enough for travel?"  
  
"I am sorry Kiyone, but he is not in his cell, and shuttle number 3 just launched. I am picking up a transmission coming from the shuttle, relaying to screen 2."  
  
Screen 2 opens up revealing the face of her prisoner as he starts to speak:   
  
"To the Empresses Funaho and Misaki, I am happy to announce the Bonding of Princesses Ayeka and Sasami to their intended. To Marshall Anderson, I receive grate pleasure to inform you of the engagement of your granddaughter Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu to her destined. To Queen Makibi of Sentinel Prime, my heart fills with pride at being allowed to inform you of the betrothal of your Daughter-heir Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi to the one whom has won her hand. To the Royal Science Academy on planet Toldain, Director Washu Hakubi and her daughter Ryoko Hakubi are to be wedded to their chosen. To Lady Tokimi your presence is requested as well, you are required to be in a form similar to your sisters for you are to be Joined to the one fated to be your mate."   
  
"In order to learn the locations of the blessed events contact the Empresses of Jurai. Bring only immediate family members and those necessary to act as official witnesses for your respective governments, and one last thing: Do not interfere, or you will be prevented from attending."  
  
The transmission ends and the screen closes.  
  
"Was that him?" Asked Washu.  
  
"Yes, it was." Came Kiyone's reply.  
  
"What is going on, who is that guy and why was he saying you all were getting married?" Tenchi inquired.  
  
"I think that was who your mother was talking about"  
Chapter 4: Secret messages  
  
  
Kiyone was curious how this person knew her name, but wasn't about to let it interfere with her job.  
  
"Freeze you're under arrest, put down your weapons and surrender," she said firmly then yelled, "NOW!"   
  
"I do surrender Miss Makibi, but I will not give up my weapons. I have something very important I need to do," he said adding "besides I am kind of in the need for medical attention right now so would you take me to the Lady Washu please."  
  
"I said put down your weapons, and I mean it," she said as her expression softened, "then you will be transported up to the Yagamis' medical room."  
  
"Fine, but we are taking my weapons with us, they cant be allowed to fall into the hands of the locals," he said as he knelt down and began removing a small arsenal from his trench coat, "just do me a favor, and destroy the circle when we leave."  
  
Kiyone holstered her pistol and pulled out her cube and started giving it a few twists saying,   
  
"Fine here we go."  
  
First the weapons, then the other equipment, then him and finally she threw an incendiary grenade at the circle, destroying all trace of it, before transporting her self to the Yagami.  
  
  
Earlier that night at a house near a lake beneath an ancient shrine:  
  
Tenchi was in the storage shed when Ryo-ohki found him.  
  
"Meya?"  
  
"Ryo-ohki, what are you doing here?" Tenchi asked scratching the back of his head nervously.  
  
"Meya, Meya" she said as she pointed at a basket of carrots.  
  
"Go ahead and have a carrot, Ryo-ohki can you take me to the Yagami without the others finding out?" Tenchi asked  
  
Ryo-ohki nodded with a look of curiosity.  
  
"Good I have to get this done before Kiyone goes on patrol."  
  
Ryo-ohki transforms and beams Tenchi and his bag on board, then heads off to the Yagami.  
  
A while later on the Yagami:  
  
"How is the prisoner doing Yagami?"  
  
"It's a good thing you transported him straight to the med-lab, he would not have survived much longer otherwise."   
  
"How long before he can be interrogated?"  
  
"That's hard to determine, 90% of the damage has been repaired. However; something seems to be interfering with the regeneration tank and further healing seems to be ineffective." Yagami replied, " I am manually repairing and bandaging the wound for now. You can question him when he regains consciousness. I'll place him in a containment field shielded cell."  
  
"Yagami, start up the engines and plot us a course to Headquarters" Kiyone said.  
  
"Sorry Kiyone, but I am unable to comply with your request." Yagamis' AI unit replied as it dropped out of the ceiling.  
  
"WHAT! Why the hell not, and it had better be good."  
  
"Prince Tenchi has ordered me not to let you leave the area until after you have read the scroll he brought for you and have given him a response." Yagami replied.  
  
"When was this and why didn't you notify me that he was onboard?"  
  
"He arrived here a little over one and a half hours ago on Ryo-Ohki, he requested that you not be alerted," came the reply "he said that it was to be a surprise, something about a girls festival."  
  
I wonder what he wants, wasn't the girls' festival the reason he had invited Mihoshi over last night? Kiyone thought to her self.  
  
"Is Ryo-ohki still here?"  
  
"No, Ryo-ohki departed approximately one half hour ago."  
  
As Kiyone walked around her command chair she saw a simple wooden tray with her name on it, with a glass of orange juice, a small pot of tea that smelled of mint and algoth a fruit from her home world, a covered serving dish, and the scroll. Sitting down, she reached for the scroll, brushing her hand up against the teapot, feeling the heat radiating from it.  
  
Looking up at Yagami Kiyone asked the unit, "Have you been keeping this stuff warm for me?"  
  
"No, everything is just as Prince Tenchi left it."  
  
"If it has been here for half an hour, it should be cold by now."  
  
"Prince Tenchi placed it there just five minutes ago, so it should still be warm. You should read the scroll now Kiyone."  
  
Kiyone untied the emerald green ribbon, unrolled the scroll and began to read:  
  
"No matter what you do, I will always want to know where you are and what you are doing? Thinking, and feeling for the rest of my life. There are no words, that can express what is in my Head and Heart."  
  
"I wish you could read my mind, then all doubt would be gone forever, because you would know, what a big part of me you are. I would gladly die for you anytime."  
  
"That is easy to say, but I have to take the harder path. To live day by day to show you through Action, the true depth of my commitment towards you."  
  
"Mistakes will be made in the future. But always remember this day, and the reason behind the Mistakes will become clear."  
  
"Even though you are one of the newer members of my little family you mean as much to me as any of the others with your quiet strength and dedication." Kiyone lost the fight to keep back a tear and wiped it off her cheek.  
  
"Would you like me to serve you tea now, Miss Kiyone?" Tenchi asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Ah, sure Tenchi. Why didn't you go with Ryo-ohki back to the house? Why did you come all the way out here, I would have come to the house with Mihoshi." She asked as she turned her head to look up at Tenchi.  
  
"I thought it would be better this way, I have some questions I need answers to and I don't think any one else can do that." He says as he lifts up the teapot and reaches for the teacup. As he pours the tea he continues, "I mean Ayeka, Ryoko, and Washu would all put their own slant to the answer they give. Grandpas' answers are all so enigmatic I might as well have asked about the meaning of life. Father, well he helped me set this all up, but he has no way of knowing the answers to my questions. Sasami will end up telling the other ladies that I was asking these questions, and so would Mihoshi. And they all would immediately jump to the wrong conclusions as to why I was asking. So I decided to have your part of the festival here so that we could talk without any interruptions."  
  
"So what do you want to know, Tenchi?"  
  
"Tell me about the customs and laws I should know about on Jurai and the rest of the planets that I'll have to deal with as a prince of Jurai, and especially courtship and marriage laws and customs."  
  
"That is a lot of information and I can see why you wouldn't want to ask the others. Well here it goes…"  
  
On another part of the ship:  
  
The first thing to go through his mind is that he still is, and that thought brings with it the awareness of the pain. It is not as bad as it was but it is still there.  
  
"Good I'm still alive." He mumbles to himself   
  
The words having been said brought with them other sensations, the throbbing headache, the stiffness in his joints, and the tingling sensation of energy emanating from the floor. Sitting up and looking around reveals to him that he is suspended a foot and a half off the floor, and away from the walls and ceiling, by an energy field.   
  
"This may have stopped others from escaping from one of these cells but it won't stop me." He said to himself with a grin.  
  
Standing up, he walked over to where the cell entrance was and began tracing a circle along the surface of the energy field. His finger, covered in blood from his wounded side, crackling with the energy sparks as he moved it along the surface.   
  
"Energy is energy no matter what form it takes, technological, magical, or as matter." He said in a low voice as his finger reached its starting point.   
  
He opened his eyes in time to see the field inside the circle flicker out of existence and stepped through and out of the cell.  
  
Back on the bridge…  
  
"So you're saying I don't have to choose between you because of the ratio of women to men is approximately ten to one, which made group marriages not only legal but mandatory, with the minimum being two women to one man, right?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"You know, I never really thought about it, but you're right, but you forgot that due to the life spans of the average Galactic are so long a few centuries between marriages are allowed. I wonder why Ayeka, Sasami, or Yosho never mentioned this to you. It would have saved us all a lot of problems." Kiyone replied.  
  
"Yes, it would have, a long time ago." Tenchi said thinking of Ayeka and Ryoko.  
  
"So you have decided to accept the responsibility of your heritage?"  
  
"I don't really have a choice, and I just recently figured out what that my mother said to me the last time before she died."  
  
"What was it she said? If it wasn't to personal, I would like to hear it."  
  
"She said to me that seven ladies would come into my life and that unless I tied them to me with the strongest of bonds all would be lost, but I must be very careful not to hurt them for their hearts would be fragile and there tempers volatile. She also indicated that if I failed I would never find my destiny and more than I knew would be lost, for it will never have existed. What I still don't understand is the part about the one who knows the ancient ways would sacrifice the greatest gift to bond me to them and that one would be asked to give a replacement to this person cloaked in black with wounds that could not be healed."  
  
"What do you mean seven ladies? There are only six of us here with you."  
  
"There is an in coming transmission Kiyone." Yagami said before Tenchi could say any thing in response to Kiyones' words.  
  
"Putting it on screen."  
  
Washu's face came in to being in front of them.  
  
"Why hello there Tenchi, Kiyone did you pick up an unusual energy reading a little while ago?" Said Washu.  
  
"Yes, I did, little Washu, I have the one responsible in a containment field in the brig. He knew my name and asked to be taken to you. I had expected more resistance considering the energy readings, Yagami is the prisoner well enough for travel?"  
  
"I am sorry Kiyone, but he is not in his cell, and shuttle number 3 just launched. I am picking up a transmission coming from the shuttle, relaying to screen 2."  
  
Screen 2 opens up revealing the face of her prisoner as he starts to speak:   
  
"To the Empresses Funaho and Misaki, I am happy to announce the Bonding of Princesses Ayeka and Sasami to their intended. To Marshall Anderson, I receive grate pleasure to inform you of the engagement of your granddaughter Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu to her destined. To Queen Makibi of Sentinel Prime, my heart fills with pride at being allowed to inform you of the betrothal of your Daughter-heir Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi to the one whom has won her hand. To the Royal Science Academy on planet Toldain, Director Washu Hakubi and her daughter Ryoko Hakubi are to be wedded to their chosen. To Lady Tokimi your presence is requested as well, you are required to be in a form similar to your sisters for you are to be Joined to the one fated to be your mate."   
  
"In order to learn the locations of the blessed events contact the Empresses of Jurai. Bring only immediate family members and those necessary to act as official witnesses for your respective governments, and one last thing: Do not interfere, or you will be prevented from attending."  
  
The transmission ends and the screen closes.  
  
"Was that him?" Asked Washu.  
  
"Yes, it was." Came Kiyone's reply.  
  
"What is going on, who is that guy and why was he saying you all were getting married?" Tenchi inquired.  
  
"I think that was who your mother was talking about" 


	6. The Ceremony Begins

Chapter 5: The Ceremony Begins  
  
A short while later in the living room of the Masaki residence:  
  
"I don't care what you think Princess, I'm not marrying any body but Tenchi."  
  
"Yah, well I'm not going to marry any one except Lord Tenchi either, Demon."  
  
"Like hell you are, no one is gonna..." Ryoko stopped mid-sentence and tilted her head to one side as if listening to something.  
  
"No one is gonna what Pirate?"  
  
"We'll finish this later Ayeka, some thing is out side by that Damn Cave and it can't be good."  
  
Up by Ryokos' cave:  
  
He stands there in the cave entrance, griping the rusted iron bars that block entry to the deeper reassesses of the shine. He was waiting for Her to show up; knowing that She must have felt his arrival at the cave. Hearing the princesses yelling coming nearer he turns away from the gate and bows down on one knee, palms forward with his arms out to the side to show that he intends no hostile action. Finishing his pose just as She arrives followed by the princess.  
  
Ryoko energizes her sword and places the tip of the orange blade a few hairs away from the strangers' head and opens her mouth to speak when the stranger speaks to her.  
  
"Lady Ryoko, you do me to much honor to grant me an audience so soon after my arrival. I would like to say that I am very grateful for being chosen to conduct the bonding ceremony of you and your future sister-wives, and that I have a few gifts to give to each. Since you are to be First-wife you are to be the first to receive hers and thus begin the Bonding Ritual as it was done so many eons ago."  
  
"What are you talking about I am not marrying any one but Tenchi, so you can just tell who ever it is that wants me to marry him to just get lost!"  
  
Ayeka was getting angry about Ryokos' insistence on marrying Her Tenchi and opened her mouth to yell at Ryoko about how she was the one that was going to marry Tenchi and not some monster woman, when the stranger looked up at her and motioned her to stay silent. Leaving her sputtering with indignation he returned his attention to Ryoko.  
  
"That is good to hear, my Lady, his highness would have been upset if you had refused to go through with the ceremony. Now to start with I must give to you your true gems."  
  
The stranger reaches into his coat and pulls out three cyan hued gems. The gems immediately latch them selves to Ryokos' neck and wrists, dislodging the crimson gem from her. The crimson gem dangling from her left ear changes to match its' self to the other gems now imbedded in her. The gem dislodged from her left wrist floats over to the stranger and he places it in the coat pocket that the other three gems were produced from.  
  
"Those gems should return to you the memories and senses that were removed by Kagato in time. Now, if I may approach to with in touching distance to give to you the marriage gift, Lady Ryoko, it should only take a few moments for the gift to manifest its self after contact, there may be some discomfort at first."  
  
Ryoko looked at the man kneeling before her as if he were a serpent waiting to strike. After a few moments she let her sword dissipate and nodded to him. He stands up and takes the few steps closer to her then looks over to Ayeka.  
  
"You must not interfere, Princess Ayeka, and when I have finished you must follow my instructions, exactly. Though you are not going to be First-wife, you are still going to be Bonded to Prince Tenchi as well, so there is no need for jealousy. Oh, and Lady Ryokos' virtue is as pure as your own, so no objections."  
  
As he stops speaking to her he reaches in under his coat and shirt, and pulls it out covered in blood. He then says something under his breath; the only thing Ryoko could understand was two names, Washu and Tsunami. She then saw the blood on his hand form a small blade an instant before it was rammed into her lower abdomen, then her whole body felt as if it were burning from the inside out.  
  
Ayeka watched as the stranger formed the blade made of blood and stabbed Ryoko. The scream unleashed by Ryoko blended with her own as she activated her shield causing it to surround her and Ryoko. The shield pushing the stranger back into the gate, causing it to burst into the cave in several pieces. Ayeka looked from the assailant to Ryoko, who was curled up on the ground clutching where she had been stabbed. The noise she heard coming from her friend and rival could only be described as a low yowl. When she returned her gaze back to the man in black, she saw him stepping through a hole in her shield and removing his long coat. As she started to summon her capture logs when the stranger looked over his shoulder, while wrapping Ryoko in his coat and picking her up, started speaking to her.  
  
"Stop playing games Princess, and summon Azaka and Kamidake. You must take Lady Ryoko into Prince Tenchis' room, undress her and put her to bed. You must then get Prince Tenchi into the room as well, now here is the hard part for you, Princess. Prince Tenchi and Lady Ryoko must mate. If they do not mate in the next two hours she probably will not survive her first heat. No arguments and you should join them, but this must happen between Prince Tenchi and Lady Ryoko. More is at stake here than just the life of Lady Ryoko. Go now, I must repair the damage done here and pray for Lady Ryoko to forgive me the pain I have caused Her this day." He says with remorse in his voice as he turns and walks into the cave.  
  
One hour later at the house:  
  
Tenchi and Kiyone are coming in the door.  
  
"I'm home, I hope I didn't miss dinner. Oh and I brought Kiyone with me, I hope you don't mind Sasami."  
  
"Of course I don't mind Tenchi, dinner is in the oven keeping warm. Tenchi something happened to Ryoko, Ayeka said to send you to your room as soon as you came home. She said to tell you that it was an emergency. Please, hurry and help Ryoko. She's my friend, and I don't want any thing to happen to her."  
  
Tenchi got a worried look as he responded to Sasamis statement as he hurried on his way to his room, "Don't worry Sasami I'll do what ever is necessary to help Ryoko."  
  
As Tenchi headed down the hall to his room, he saw Washu closing his door after exiting his room. *Washu probably knows what is wrong with Ryoko, she can tell me what I can do to help.* Tenchi thought to himself.  
  
"Hay Washu, what is wrong with Ryoko? What can I do to help? It sounds serious from what Sasami was saying."  
  
Washus' face went from the angry, determined expression to one of hopeful concern as she spoke to Tenchi, "Just do what Ayeka tells you to do and Ryoko will be fine, Tenchi." Washus' face returned to its previous expression as she continued, "I'm going to 'talk' to the one who did this to her and make him pay!" She then went down the stairs and out of the house.  
  
Tenchi opened the door to his room and saw Ayeka kneeling on the floor beside his bed, in the undergarment that he had seen her in that day they were caught in the rain oh so long ago. She was holding Ryokos' hand and crying. Through her sobs he hears her talking to Ryoko and quietly walks up to better listen in on what it is she is saying.  
  
"... It was not supposed to happen like this, the three of us were supposed to be married. I was not trying to take him away from you, I just wanted you to wait for the proper time. Maybe if we had not played so much and caused so much damage Tenchi would have married us by now. I wanted Tenchi to come to us because he loves us not because of some thing like this, not like this." Ayeka looks to Ryokos' face when Ryoko lets out a whimpering moan, Ayeka smiles sadly before continuing, not noticing Tenchi kneel down behind her, "Well it looks like you are going to go first after all. Where is Tenchi, he should be here by now."  
  
Tenchi moves around Ayeka to place his hand on her and Ryokos' and starts to speak, "Lady Ayeka, Washu said you would tell me what I need to do to help Ryoko." He places his other hand on her chin and moves her head so that she is looking at him, and he continues to speak, "I did not know certain things about the Galactic Community, but I spoke to Kiyone earlier today, and now I can say what I have all ways wanted to say to you. I was going to say it when we were all together, but I think I need to say it to you and Ryoko now, I love you, I love all of you ladies, I love each of you equally, but differently and for different reasons." He then leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.  
  
When he pulls back he smiles at her, wipes away her tears and asks, "So what is it I need to do to help Ryoko?"  
  
Ayeka moves her free hand up to her lips, then with a smile she says as she starts to unbutton Tenchis' shirt, "A man in black up by Ryokos' cave did some thing to her after giving her those new gems, and said that this was her first heat and that...."  
  
Up in the cave, the man in black was just putting the final pieces in to place, a small sake set, a bottle of sake, and a few bowls with a variety of food and chopsticks. As he stood up he caught the sight of a mass of red hair arranged in the likeness of a crab reflected in his glasses. Without any hesitation or regard for any injury that might occur to himself, he dropped to his stomach with his arms out to the sides palms up and his face barely a few centimeters from Washus' feet, his hat falling off of his head, coming to rest between her feet. At the sudden movement and speed of her quarry, she brought in to being her energy sword, ready for an attack. To her surprise, and annoyance, the target of her anger started speaking softly into the stone floor, causing her to strain to hear what he was saying. She did not like the situation so she decided to end it.  
  
"Just who are you, and what makes you think I am going to let you get away with what you have done?" Washu demanded coolly.  
  
"My apologies, My Lady, I did not mean to offend you by constructing this temple of Lady Ryokos' before the construction of your temple." He paused a moment then continued when Washu did not comment on that statement. "What I am called is not important, I gave up who I was when I chose to serve you and your family, If I may I must speak with Princess Sasami and Lady Tsunami about how she will be participating in the bonding ceremony. I need to atone for the pain I have caused the Lady Ryoko before I leave here to do so."  
  
"It is regarding that last part that I came here to talk to you about, the rest of what you just said can wait until later to be discussed." *This guy is some kind of nut case* she thought to herself after she finished her statement to the stranger.  
  
"Do you think the Lady Ryoko will forgive me and accept my sacrifice?" He asked as he pulled his knees up under him while keeping his face a few centimeters from the ground. "Will you forgive me for the pain you suffered through your link with Lady Ryoko?" He continued as he pulled a tanto knife out of his boot and brought his hands together between her feet pushing his hat behind her.  
  
"Tell me why either of us should forgive you for what you have done to my daughter?"  
  
"I am not worthy of the mental or emotional energy you would expend to do otherwise, I am not worthy to even ask such a thing as to be remembered after I am have gone into oblivion, let alone forgiven." As he finishes speaking, he places the knife blade against the last knuckle of his right hand pinky and with an audible popping noise severs the entire finger from his hand. His left hand shakes as he drops the blade and crawls a few feet back from Washu. "Please accept this most unworthy of followers offering, please forgive me for leaving before your dismissal, I have other duties that I must see to before it is to late." With that he crawled around Washu and out of the chamber.   
  
After he had left Washu summoned her computer, sent the finger to her lab through a porthole and scanned what was once Ryokos' prison. The energy readings were identical to the readings from earlier. The question was, was this person a Life Priest or a Blood Mage? It was hard to tell since the only difference were the ethics involved.  
  
"Interesting, he did not seam to feel any pain when he did that. Ether he has a strong will, or has some chemical or technological help preventing him from feeling it. Still it is kind of creepy. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this guy, If he has some sort of trap in mind I'm going to have to have a way out set up." She looks around the chamber once more. "He does have nice taste, I think my Little Ryoko will like what he has done with the place."  
  
At the cave entrance:  
  
The stranger walked several feet out of the cave, looked up at the night sky, and dropped to his knees. The scream that was released sent a flock of birds to wing across the lake from the shrine.   
  
Sasami, who was sitting on the dock and looking at Her reflection in the lake, was so deep in her thoughts of the situation with Ryoko that she failed to hear the sound of pain that resounded throughout the valley. Her reverie was interrupted when she heard some one approaching from the shrine.  
  
It was the man in black that Ayeka had said had hurt Ryoko. He had weapon belts crossing his bare chest and a black cloth wrapped around his hand, which he was holding against his chest. On his stomach was a blood soaked bandage.  
  
Sasami, angry with this stranger who had caused her friend pain, got up and ran at him. At her approach he went down on one knee and placed his left hand flat against the dock with his head bowed. After several blows she realized that he was not resisting nor trying to protect himself from her attack. Wiping the tears from her face, she sees that she has given him a bloody nose and a black eye. He did not even bother with his injuries as he spoke to her:  
  
"You are swift and kind in your punishment my lady, my apologies for not coming sooner. I had not expected your sister to arrive so soon, I hope she, your niece, and you can forgive me for my sin. My Lady, I have a question to ask you and a few other things I must tell you." He then waits for Sasami to grant him permission to ask his question.  
  
Sasami, shocked at the ferocity of her own behavior, was at a loss for words when what he has said to her registered.  
  
"What do you mean my sister and niece? Ayeka is my sister and she does not have a daughter, so I have no niece."  
  
"My apologies Princess, I was referring to your other half. Tsunami has two sisters, well through you she has three, one is Lady Tokimi, the other you already know. The one you already know is also a ... cousin(?) of yours Princess. I have some documents for you, mostly birth certificates and marriage licenses. If you wish you can show them to the others. May I ask a few questions My Lady?" As he speaks he pulls a scroll case from behind his back and lays it down at her feet and then resumes his kneeling position before her.  
  
Sasami picks up the scroll case and says, "What is it you want to know? I am going to have a few questions for you also." She then opens the scroll case and pulls out the ancient documents.  
  
"First I must make clear a few misconceptions of yours, Highness. To begin I must let you know that when you finish assimilating with Lady Tsunami, you will still remain. She will not be absorbing, replacing, or taking over you. Right now you and Lady Tsunami are like Lady Ryoko when she splits herself during a fight. In essence you are half of what you will be when you finish merging. When you join you will have a complete memory. The other thing, you did not die that day Lady Ryoko was forced to attack Jurai. In order to save your life Lady Tsunami gave of her own life force in order to preserve yours. In doing so, some of your life force was absorbed into her. On that day the two of you became one, she kept herself apart so that you may have the opportunity to experience child hood without having to worry. Every thing was going well, until you stowed away on the Ryo-oh. Without a basis of comparison for Lady Tsunami to go by, your aging process stopped. Did you know your mother thought that Lady Ryoko was you when she visited? This brings me to the first of my questions. Do you wish to bond with Prince Tenchi as you are now, or as your whole self?"  
  
"I'm the real Sasami? Are you sure? How could you know some thing like that? I'll still be my self after the assimilation is completed?"  
  
"Yes, Highness you are the real Princess Sasami. I am as sure of what I have told you is true, as I am that I kneel here before you. Yes, you will still be yourself only more so."  
  
Sasami thinks on what the stranger has just told her for a few minutes. She then states her choice nervously: "I will bond with Tenchi as my whole self."  
  
"Thank you, this night and the next day belong to Lady Ryoko, the next night and following day belong to Princess Ayeka, then Mihoshi, you as Lady Tsunami or Sasami, Lady Washu, Kiyone, and then Lady Tokimi when she arrives."  
  
Then seemingly out of no where she watches him pull two folded cloth bundles and two small spherical objects and place them in front of her. The bundles were silk kimonos, and the orbs were gems one a golden yellow the other a red so dark as to appear almost purple.  
  
"The golden gem goes to Lady Ryoko, the other to Princess Ayeka. If you please, could you deliver them for me, they would not be happy to see me right now. Could you also tell them that I am sorry for the pain I caused them, and for deceiving them as to the severity of Lady Ryokos' condition. She was not really going to die, but saying so was the only way I could think of to get Princess Ayeka to cooperate. All the rest of what I said was true but for one thing, what I did to Lady Ryoko was not part of the bonding ceremony. I told her that what I was doing was giving her the bonding gift to start the bonding ritual. The truth is that I was activating a part of her genetic structure that had been shut down by Kagato, he felt that if she had those kind of biological drives, she would be too hard to control. The things here before you are the true bonding gifts, you each will receive a set before your time with Prince Tenchi. The gems will allow you ladies to bond with each other, to the point of being able to feel each others emotions and hear each others thoughts to some extent. As each of you accepts her gem and the bond she will share her life and memories with the ones that came be for her, and they will share theirs with her."  
  
"I will do this for you. Thank you for what you have told me. Oh and you should ask Washu to look at those wounds for you, she is the best."  
  
"Lady Washu is the Greatest Scientific Genius in this or any Universe, Highness. However, she is not happy with me at the moment. Any way I need to start my patrol of the area and make sure no one tries to interfere with the bonding ceremony. Sleep well Highness." 


	7. Revalations

Chapter six: Revelations  
  
Up on a hill not to far from the shrine sat Mihoshi. She had seen what had happened with Ryoko. The smell of her pheromones was so intense, even at this distance that it was not very difficult to tell that she had gone into heat. She remembered when she had gone in to her first heat, her mom had been very understanding. Her mother had explained what was happening to her, that it would happen to her periodically. Her mother had even brought a boy that she had liked to be with her. The thing is she had come out here to get a way from Tenchi because she was going to go into heat again in the next couple of days, the real Kiyone would have known this and tried to help her keep form doing some thing that she might regret to Tenchi. She had never kept any secrets from Kiyone, but her Kiyone was dead. She did not tell her evaluators that she remembered watching her best friend and partner die in her arms. They thought she could not remember it but she did. Who ever this person was they could not be Kiyone. Any way Washu would help her if she asked nice and did not break any of her lab equipment.  
  
"I wish Kiyone were still alive, and here. Then I would not have to keep pretending to be the happy bubble head that every one seams to think I am." She said to herself. Then she felt a hand get placed on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin, "Aaahhh!"   
  
"Relax Mihoshi, it's just me." Kiyone said   
  
"What do you want, did I forget to make another report or something?" Mihoshi spit out at the person who was trying to impersonate Kiyone.  
  
Kiyone looked stunned for a few moments, then her expression softened as a small smile came to her eyes and mouth. "No, nothing like that Mihoshi. I just needed to ask you something."  
  
"What do you want to know from me? I'm your incompetent partner, I can't do anything right, remember."  
  
Kiyones' face gets a sad look to it as she says, "Oh Mihoshi, I am sorry I yell at you all the time now. It's just that when I compare the way you are now to the way you used to be, I get so angry with my self. It's my fault you are like this. If I had refused to take that mission things would have been different."  
  
"What do you mean, the way I used to be? I don't know who you really are but why don't you just go back to Headquarters and tell them their little plan failed. There is no way you are Kiyone, I saw her die in my arms so just stop pretending to be her and leave me alone!"  
  
Kiyone fell to her knees crying. "I'm so sorry Mihoshi, I wanted to tell you. I was under orders not to. They said you did not remember what happened that day, so there would not be a problem with me coming back. Please Mihoshi, I was put deep undercover, I did not want to hurt you like that, how can I prove to you that I am the real Kiyone?"  
  
"Tell me something about myself that only Kiyone would know, tell me one of my secrets."  
  
"Freshman year at the academy. Third Quarter. Second month. You were sick officially, at least that is what I told the instructors for you. You were so embarrassed about what you were really going through, that you refused to go to the med-ward for help. You had me cuff you to your bunk. You made me swear never to tell. I never did, especially after what I did to help. Considering it was against the rules, I could have been kicked out of the academy. Bringing a guy into the women's dormitory, and for what we used him for, could have gotten us both kicked out. Inspite of the fact that the guy was a jerk most of the time, he was a gentleman and never mentioned what happened to anyone. Turns out he was part Felinid as well. He could smell you on me, and he thought it was me who was going through that." then Kiyone asked the question that answered Mihoshis'. "How close are you, I know it is some time with in the next week or two. I've been away to long to judge it accurately, that is what I came up here to ask you in the first place, and to tell you what is happening down at the house."  
  
Kiyone was prevented from speaking further by the incredibly strong bear hug that squeezed the breath out of her, given to her by a sobbing Mihoshi. The only thing Kiyone could think to do was hug Mihoshi in return in an effort to comfort her best, and until recently only, friend. After a few minutes Mihoshi pulled back wiping her tears.   
  
"I all ready know what happened at the house, Ryoko will be ok. I want you to tell me what happened after I saw you get killed. Kiyone, it is going to happen in the next couple of days. I need to stay away from the house for a while, unless I can get Washu to help me." As she finished what she was saying she turned her head to the side, with a sad look in her eyes and blushing.  
  
"Mihoshi you have to go to the house, Tenchi has something he wants to tell everyone. I came out here to get you and to ask you that question. We need to tell the others our story, so it won't be such a surprise later. It is time we told them all of our secrets."  
  
"Honestly Kiyone I think it is going to be a surprise any way, at least some of it considering how I have acted so far. Well at least I can stop trying to come up with the most inane and idiotic things to say any more. You would not believe how hard it is to do just once in a while, let alone all the time."  
  
"Come on Mihoshi, its late and we need to hurry on back to the house." She said as she helped Mihoshi stand up.  
  
Just then a breeze blew by carrying a faint metallic sent to Mihoshis nose.  
  
"Um, Kiyone?"  
  
"Yes, Mihoshi?"  
  
"Is it that time for you?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"I smell blood."  
  
At that moment Kiyone saw her escaped prisoner pass through some trees behind Mihoshi.  
  
"Do you have a gun with you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Reach around behind me and take my holdout blaster, I just saw a prisoner that escaped. Take care, he registers as a Highest level Special threat."  
  
"But there hasn't been one of those since the last Life priest died stopping the last of the Blood mages, ending the Soul Spell War. Some people call it the Blood War and others call it the Life War. I wonder why it is called so many different names? Do you know Kiyone?" Mihoshi said as she reached down the back of Kiyones skirt to grab the hold out blaster.  
  
"No I don't know. Mihoshi I moved it up between my shoulder blades under my vest." Kiyone said as she reached into her armpit to pull her blaster from its harness.  
  
"Why would one of either of those show up after nearly 5,000 years, I mean the Juraians keep all the records of how they did what they did under lock and key, only the Royal Family and the High Priest and Priestess of Tsunami have accesses to the chamber the documents are in." Mihoshi said with a strange combination of respect and curiosity.  
  
"Well I can tell you he is not a member of the Royal Family, nor of the church of Tsunami. That more than anything worries me, we need to interrogate him to determine his motivations. He is also wanted for theft of the experimental ship we were asked to test." Kiyone said in a rather grim voice.  
  
Mihoshi was about to ask another question, when Kiyone silenced her with a kiss. Mihoshi was rather stunned to say the least. Just one more thing she was going to have to talk to Kiyone about. She LIKED Kiyone and all, just not in that way, at least she didn't think she did. She hoped Kiyone would understand that her heart belonged to Tenchi.  
  
"Be careful, sister." Kiyone said as she pulled away from Mihoshi and went to intercept their target.  
  
"I wonder why Kiyone called me sister? We aren't related, something is going on and I am going to find out what it is." Mihoshi thought out loud, her expression going from dazed to determined. Then moved in to position behind the suspect.  
  
Kiyone got into position and waited for the stranger to come to her. When he was approximately ten feet away from her she heard him speaking to some one.  
  
"… Just let me know when to turn. What do you mean I passed your location? Fine I'll head back."   
  
Kiyone heard him stop and head back towards the clearing she and Mihoshi were just in.   
  
"I told you I had to return you to the detectives. No I will not give you to some one else. I don't care if you are going to be given to him any way, it is not my right to give you to him. How do I get this thing off of my arm any way. What do you mean it won't come off. Hey you agreed that this was only going to be temporary. Well how are you going to link with him if your key is stuck on my arm?"   
  
At the mention of the ships key being attached to his arm did the conversation she was over hearing make sense. He had some how gotten the Juraian tree in it to bond to him, at least temporarily. A bond the tree did not seam to want to give up just yet. Tree, the thing was really still a sapling barley ten and a half Galactic Standard Years old. Then she realized something, Tenchi was about the same age as this tree, and was comparatively a very young child. There could be some legal problems with them bonding with him this early in his life. She would have to do some research into the matter later.  
  
"Oh, you think that it is fine to leave this thing on me just because he has the master key, huh? Need I remind you that your shell was constructed by Happy Crab Heavy Industries and they have just as much say to whom you will be assigned to as your Mother does."  
  
*Happy Crab? Where have I heard that name before. I know I just saw it recently. * Kiyone thought to her self.  
  
"Wow, I wonder if Washu works for them?" Mihoshi whispered as she came up next to Kiyone.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, when Tenchis cousin Taro was left with us she made some formula and it was Happy Crab brand. I think. Plus we were using it to feed Miyuka-chan when Washu brought her back as a baby."  
  
"I knew I recognized that name from some where. We are going to have to talk to her about that. Now lets get him before he reaches the ship and escapes."  
  
"Umm, I don't think he is going to try to escape Kiyone."  
  
"Why is that? He escaped from the force field reinforced cell I had him in on board the Yagami, and took the Y429-1."  
  
"Because he is lying on the ground with his hands out to the sides. He got that way as soon as he saw us standing here."  
  
***  
  
"Please sir, I worry about you. We can talk about my key after you have spent some time in my med-bay. You need to rest, you have not slept in a very long time. And you need to eat more than a bite or two of rice a day. You can't keep going on like this."  
  
"Don't worry about me Hakurai, I'm not going to be around for much longer. As soon as the bonding ceremony is complete I will be gone, I'll finally be free of the cycle, the pain will finally be over."  
  
"We need to speak of this later, two Galaxy Police detectives are approximately nine meters behind and to the left of you. Their weapons are charged and ready to fire sir."  
  
"I have to give you back I don't have a choice, I have to return you and your key to Kiyone and Lady Mihoshi if I am to convince them to allow me to stay and complete my role in the bonding ceremony. You can have them give you to the young prince, please understand that it has to be this way, just remember our travels together and know that I have enjoyed your companion ship. Do not mourn for me, I am not worthy of it."  
  
He then looked over his left shoulder to verify that it was the two female detectives and not some one else. It was them. He then turns around and lays down on his stomach and spreads his arms out to the sides, trying to ignore the pain in his side and hand while praying that Kiyone does not shoot him before he can explain and give the ship (that had been his only friend during this long journey) back.  
  
***  
  
Deep in subspace:  
  
"This is shouldn't be possible." The little red headed scientist said to her self as she looked at the screen of her holo-top computer. "The synchrotrons are out of synch, hell they are fluctuating like mad, and the level of chronotons and tachyons permeating the tissue structure would rip any normal person to shreds at the subatomic level. The psycho-layer, over-dimension, and astral-layer patterns are also in a state of flux. It looks like some thing is anchoring him in this dimension, while isolating him from virtually all other dimensions. Something seems to be draining energy from him, make that several somethings."  
  
***  
  
"Don't move." Kiyone said as she approached her escapee. When she was three meters from him she thumbed on the light on her gun, illuminating the prone man on the ground.  
  
"Oh, how pretty, he has pictures on his back Kiyone. Look there is Washu on his left shoulder, and there are you and me and every one. I don't know who that lady is though, the name under the picture says 'Tokimi'. That's the name of the person Dr. Clay said wanted to see Washu, before he forgot about her that is." Mihoshis expression goes to one more serious as she continues, "Who are you? Are you here to try and kidnap Washu, because if you are I'm going to have to stop you."  
  
Kiyone saw the stranger lift up his head, his lips moving as if he were saying some thing, then his head fell back to the ground with a dull thud. Moments later a line of light appeared in the air and expanded into an opening hatch. A shadow appeared around it solidifying into the shape of the stolen ship. Out of the ship floated a small sphere, approximately 15 centimeters in diameter.   
  
"Please pick him up and follow me detectives." Said a soft female voice. "I will try to explain what he is doing after we get him to the med-bay, please be careful with him I don't want to see him come to any more harm. I kept telling him that he couldn't keep going on like that."  
  
Kiyone and Mihoshi pick up the man between them and follow the little orb. As they walk through the ship Kiyone notices that the ship seams bigger on the inside than it did on the outside, just as Mihoshi stops for no apparent reason.  
  
"Would you look at that, it looks just like the holo-vids of the inside of a Juraian ship, Kiyone." Mihoshi said with awe.  
  
Kiyone turns to look in the direction Mihoshi indicated.  
  
"That is the interior of a Jurai ship Mihoshi." She said softly.  
  
"How do you know Kiyone?"  
  
"I have been on a few of them, they are nice are they not?"  
  
"Please, hurry and follow me detectives. After we get him into a regen tank, I have a few things I need to tell and show you. It is very important that things happen with out incident."  
  
***  
  
As she comes awake she feels safe, for once awakening without the help of the nightmares, the two pairs of arms holding her close in their warm gentle embraces. Two pairs of arms? With that thought she opened her eyes, through a purple haze she saw Tenchi in front of her. She sees Tenchi smile.  
  
"Feeling better Ryoko dear?" He asks her.  
  
"Mm-hmm." She moans in affirmation.  
  
The purple haze is removed from her vision and then a pair of lips kiss her softly behind her exposed earlobe.  
  
"That is good to hear, sister." She hears Ayeka whisper into her ear.  
  
Ryoko turns to look behind her. It certainly looked like Ayeka and Tenchi, it just couldn't be them. It had to be some sort of weird dream or some one was messing with her head.  
  
"Who are you people, you can't be Tenchi and Ayeka. Tenchi is too afraid of me, and Ayeka would just as soon see me dead as look at me. There is no way this could be really happening." She says as a tear rolls down one of her cheeks. She starts to phase out of the bed when the door to Tenchis room slams open.  
  
"Don't you dare leave that bed Ryoko." A rather annoyed sounding Sasami says to her from the doorway. "That man hurt you and I'm not letting you up until you are able to convince me that you are feeling better. I brought you guys something to eat since Tenchi skipped dinner. Tenchi Kiyone said you wanted us all gathered together because you wanted to tell us some thing, Kiyone went to get Mihoshi and Washu will be coming out of her lab in a little bit she was working on some thing. I told her that if she wasn't up here in ten minutes, I was going to send Mihoshi in to get her. She will be along soon." She said putting down the two trays, stacked one on top of the other, on Tenchis desk.  
  
"Sure thing Sasami, the food smells wonderful. So what is that on the other tray?" asked Ryoko nervously.  
  
"Oh, these are our Bonding gifts. The man in black said to tell you he was sorry for hurting you Ryoko, and for not speaking truly to you and Ayeka. I guess I should tell you what happened earlier."  
  
***  
  
In the med-bay of the Hakurai, Kiyone and Mihoshi stand looking at a row of regeneration tanks next to the holographic image of a young girl. In the dim light they see three figures suspended in the green fluid of the tanks, the man they brought here, a Felinid male with a GP emblem tattooed on his arm, and a woman that Kiyone thought she would never see again, the woman was supposed to be dead.  
  
"Hay, Kiyone she looks just like..." Mihoshi let the words trail off.  
  
"Achika." Kiyone whispered.  
  
"That is the Princess Achika. We saved her just before her death." The holo-girl said.  
  
"That is not possible, They buried her not to far from here." Kiyone said quietly.  
  
"We were in contact with her for about one Earth month before then. She agreed to this, for her husband and child. We told her who we were, why we were there, and what we had planed to do. We had to mention a few things leading up to the incident in Tokyo. Like the two strange girls who, boarded at her home, were in her classes at school, and fought all the time. We need to have Lady Washus' help curing her, all we can do is keep her alive."  
  
"Ah, Miss Hologram, Why do you keep saying 'we' all the time? Do you mean you and the man in the tank?"  
  
"Yes, in part, Lady Mihoshi. The other part is that I, like my Mother, am an assimilated being. You see I am Prince Tenchis' Life Tree. I will not allow any harm to come to him. After traveling with this one for a few years, I grew to love him. I told my Mother of this and she found a young girl who was going to die of a sickness her people have no cure for. I spent months speaking to her before she agreed to join with me. She is aware of this conversation, she wants you to know that she will be here with her mother tomorrow afternoon. Her mother is aware of my relationship with her daughter, the assimilation took place under my branches, with Mothers help. This image is what we look like in our other form. He does not know that I have done this for him." The image of the young girl turned her back to them. " I want his child detectives, I need to have something of him after he is gone. He is not going to try to escape, after the ceremony he will not need to. I need to be with his child before the ceremony, it will be to late after. Will you help me, please?" The image turned to look back at them holographic tears flowing down her cheeks.  
  
"I'll do what I can, but tell me a few things please," Kiyone waits for the girl to nod her agreement with a small smile of gratitude before continuing. "What is your name? What part is he playing in keeping Achika alive? What is his name? Most importantly what do you mean you have been traveling with him for a few years, you have only been gone from the Yagamis docking bay for a few hours?"  
  
"Tenchi has not given me a name yet, but he calls me Hakurai. So for now that is what you can call me, my other forms name Takahashi Hiwa, you can call her Hiwa if you wish. His part in keeping Achika alive is that even in the regen tank she was not getting better. What he did, is doing is siphoning off some of his own life energy to maintain hers. He does not have a name, he says that names are for those who have earned the right to be remembered. I could scan his memory to find out what he was called as a child, but I will not invade his privacy. He must have a reason for giving up his past, what little I know of it caused him pain to reveal. As for the travel time discrepancy, that is easy to answer. After we left the docking bay and transmitted the massage we activated my cloaking system. In only a few hours he built and installed a temporal drive unit. We were making sure things happened the way they were supposed to, as well as recovering a few documents. He gave those and a few other things to Princess Sasami. Go now Tenchi needs you, come back after you have all had a chance to get some sleep. Oh and Lady Mihoshi?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can you give a message to your grandfathers mother for me?" After Mihoshis nod she continues, "Tell her, her old friend Hakurai said hi, and that her daughter Ryoko is just as lovely as she said she would be. Thank you." With that said the holographic girl faded from view.  
  
When Kiyone looked back she saw the image of the girl leaning through the glass of the regen tank containing the strange man and kissing him. She then turned back to Mihoshi and said, "Come on we still need to talk to Tenchi tonight." Then headed back to the house to see what the other girls reactions to what Tenchi had to say to them. 


	8. Reunions

Chapter Seven: Reunions  
  
  
A young girl apparently of six or seven years of age, wandered from one bit of glowing light to another. If you didn't know better you would have thought her sniffling and half-dried tears were because she was lost, you would have been wrong. The blue haired little angle knew this dimly lit and faintly humming underworld-under-the-stairs better than most of her mommies, only one of her mommies knew this place better than her, and that was who she was headed for. Upon sighting her target, her sad and frightened expression got slightly braver and a tad bit happier.  
  
"Mommy Washu."  
  
"Yes, what is it I can do for you, Little Miyuka?"  
  
"I think I did some thing bad, in my dream. There was a man in black, he was bleeding and asking for someone called Lady Tokimi, you, and mommy Sasami. Only he was calling mommy Sasami, Tsunami. He was so sad, and asking for help."  
  
"Do you think you can remember your dream?"  
  
"Yes mommy."  
  
"Good girl, I have to go talk to your daddy and other mommies. You can sleep in the room your mommy Ryoko used to sleep in when she was a little girl, and we will talk about it when we get up, ok?"  
  
The young girl nods her head as and follows the red headed girl into a room decorated in pastel green, pink, and cabbits.  
  
***  
  
Several things awoke her. First was the smell of someone cooking. Second was the very bright light shining in her face. Third was the realization that she was sandwiched between two people and at least the one behind her was female. Opening her eyes slowly to let them adjust to the light, she saw Sasami through a purple haze. Sasamis' eyes moved to look at her as she leaned up her head to get a better look around. Sasami was laying face down on top of Tenchi, Ryoko was on the other side of Tenchi from her with Washu behind her. That meant that Mihoshi was the one behind her.  
  
"Kiyone?" Sasami asked her while biting her lip.  
  
"Yes, Sasami?" She whispered back.  
  
"I have to go to the bathroom but I didn't want to wake anyone up."  
  
"You can use me to lever you self over Ayeka and Mihoshi."  
  
"Thank you Kiyone-oniichan." Sasami said with a smile.  
  
"You are welcome, Sasami-oniichan. Say, if you are here, who's cooking?"  
  
"Well, promise you won't get mad?"  
  
"I promise to try not to."  
  
"About an hour ago father opened the door looking for Tenchi. He must be visiting for the week. I just pretended to be asleep. He just closed the door and walked off. He had the strangest look on his face. It looked like he was happy, sad, and a little confused all at the same time. I think he is making breakfast," she looks over at Tenchis clock, " or rather, lunch."  
  
"He didn't come back with any cameras or anything?" Kiyone asked suspiciously.  
  
"Nope." Sasami said as she stands up on the other side of Mihoshi.  
  
"You know, I can see why Ayeka and Ryoko were worried about you being competition for Tenchi." Kiyone said looking at a now older, blushing, Sasami.  
  
"Do you really think I'm pretty, Kiyone?"  
  
"Yes, Sasami, I do. Now, could you help me get up, I don't want to wake any one else."  
  
"Sure." Sasami said as she kneeled behind Mihoshi and gently lifted Mihoshis' arm.  
  
Kiyone then used her free hand to carefully lift Ayekas' head off of her other arm. That done she sat up and moved. Then she and Sasami moved Mihoshi into her place behind Ayeka. As she stood up, she looked out Tenchis' window. She saw Lord Katsuhito coming down the last of the shrine steps with a pair of boken in his hand. He stopped midway between the steps and the house when a car pulled up the gate between Azaka and Kamidake. He called out something and the gates opened and the car pulled through. Once through the car pulled to a stop near the shrine steps and shut down.   
  
*Internal combustion what a waist of resources, maybe we can get earth reclassified as a limited contact world. Raise the level of the local technology just a tad.* Kiyone thought to her self.  
  
Out of the car stepped a woman of about thirty-seven to forty-five. From the passenger side a young woman of fourteen, maybe fifteen. She looked just like the holographic image she saw last night. She was dressed as a shrine worker and was carrying a mid-sized duffel bag. She had this nagging feeling that something just didn't look right about the girl. Then it hit her, the girl had on sunglasses, and they just did not seam to fit with the rest of her garb. As she approached Lord Katsuhito, she removed her sunglasses and bowed deeply to him.   
  
"It looks like Lord Katsuhito is coming to get Tenchi, and we have some guests as well." Kiyone said. As she turned around Sasami hands her a neatly folded bundle.  
  
"We have to wear these until the bonding ceremony, Kiyone. We also need to get down stairs to greet our guests, and keep grandfather from bothering Tenchi and our sisters." Sasami said with a mischievous grin.  
  
"You go ahead I'll be down in a few minutes." Kiyone said as she bent down to readjust the comforter over the others still in bed. When she stood back up to put on the kimono, she glanced out the window to see the man in black escorting someone in a white kimono with a hood that completely hid their face. On the other side of the woman in white was an obviously Felinid male Seeker in a GP uniform. Seekers were almost religious fanatics when it came to the search for their lost princess. One of her descendants at the very least. He looked nervous for some reason. *Well since I know some of what is going on, I should wake Washu. That is probably Achika, that holo-girl said Washu would be able cure her.* Kiyone thought to herself. Moving to the other side of the futon she kneeled down and gently shook Washus' shoulder.  
  
"Washu-oniichan, wake up I need your help with something."  
  
"What is it Kiyone, and what did you just call me?" Washu said groggily.  
  
"We have guests, one of which we can't let Tenchi, father, or grandfather see just yet. She needs medical attention. Hurry Washu-oniichan, put this on." Kiyone said as she hands Washu her kimono. "They will meet you by the door to your lab, I'll keep father and grandfather distracted until they are safely hidden away."  
  
"Please, just call me Washu, Kiyone. I'll be down in a few, I need to pee."  
  
"All right. Please hurry, we don't want to spoil the surprise now do we?" Kiyone asked with a faint smile.  
  
As Kiyone stepped out the door into the hallway she heard Mihoshi wake up with her usual morning after staying at Tenchis' statement.  
  
"Mmm, something smells good," she covered her mouth as she yawned, "Washu, I need to get a message to some one, but I need your help finding them, please."  
  
Kiyone shook her head as she went down the stairs. *With the clues we were given, Washu should have no problem figuring out that the message was intended for her. Mihoshi was the one who thought that the best way to verify this would be to give Washu the information on who was to receive the message and to have her start a search and then give her the message after a few moments into it. I'm so happy my Mihoshi is back.*  
  
As she stepped into the dining area Kiyone saw Lord Katsuhito enter through the front door, just as she caught a glimpse of Lady Achika disappearing into Washus' lab. The man in black right behind her. The Felinid GP operative she saw in the regen tank last night stayed out side the lab with his back to the door, arms crossed his chest, scowling at her. Deciding to ignore him for now, Kiyone turns her attention to the problem at hand.  
  
"Good after noon grandfather, sorry Tenchi is late for training today. We kept the dear man up late last night. I'm sure he will be in a rush to get to it when he wakes up. Would you two ladies care to join us in the dining room?" Kiyone said, effectively cutting off any comment the priest may have had as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the dining room.  
  
Just as she finished getting every one situated, Sasami comes in from the kitchen with a tray of food and a very pale and stunned looking Nobuyuki.  
  
"What is it son, you look like you have seen a ghost."  
  
"I, I, I just saw Achika. She was walking through the yard with a G.P. and some guy dressed all in black." Stammered Nobuyuki.  
  
"Poor dear, first he walks in on the group of us this morning, and now this. Kiyone can you help me bring the rest of the food in from the kitchen? Father looks like he needs to sit down for a while." Sasami said with a worried look.  
  
"Sure, Sasami. Nobuyuki, some times events don't happen the way we remember them, some times things are not what they seem."  
  
"You're right Kiyone, it was probably just someone coming to visit one of you ladies."  
  
"I did just see someone go into Washus lab, and there is an officer standing out side her door, I wonder if they are from the Academy?" Kiyone said while giving the girl whose image she saw last night, a look that said 'Keep quiet about this.'  
  
After the girl, Hiwa, gave a slight nod of her head, Kiyone got up and headed into the kitchen to help Sasami.  
  
Coming out of the kitchen with a large bowl of rice Kiyone saw Mihoshi getting dragged behind a very determined Washu, by her ear.  
  
"But Washu, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. Ouch, let go of my ear."  
  
"Can it, Sasami can you be a dear and bring some thing for us to my lab in a little while, I have to confirm some thing." Washu said before dragging Mihoshi behind her.  
  
Kiyone sighed and said, "It is weird knowing those two are related." Looking around the table at her family to see their reactions to her comment, she saw stunned looks on the two men but Sasami just nodded and smiled knowingly at her.  
  
******  
  
Her mommy Washu wasn't there when she awoke, so she decided to go look for her in the lab. In the lab she did not find the mommy she was looking for, instead she found other people in her mommies lab. Mommy Washu did not like it when people came into her lab when she was not around. As she got closer she saw that it was the bleeding man in black from her dream and a pretty lady in white.   
  
The lady seemed to radiate peace and calm, but for some reason the man in black scared her. Not because he was a bad person, but because his being here gave her the feeling that she had definitely done some thing she shouldn't have. And he radiated sadness and a feeling of resigned hopelessness that seamed to suck what little light there was in the lab out of existence. The two people just stood there waiting for some thing. The man seemed concerned about the woman as though she were sick or some thing.   
  
Unsure of what she should do about these people who should not be in her mommys' lab, she did the one thing that she thought her mommies and daddy would do in a situation like this. She summoned up her courage and with a determination to protect her mommys' lab, and stormed out of her hiding place behind a big machine.  
  
As she came into the circle of light the two strangers were standing in, she raised her left-hand fingers splayed and palm out. Like she had seen her mommy 'Yoko do when she fought with mommy 'Eka, and in her best impression of the kind of commanding voice her mommy 'Eka liked to use when yelling at mommy 'Yoko she made her demands known to the two strangers.  
  
"Don't move or I'll blast you to bits! Now tell me who you are and what you are doing in my mommys lab with out her permission." She then wished she had gotten dressed before coming out of the room her mommy Washu had let her stay in last night. Her mommy had told her she could use any of the clothes in the drawers because a lot of them were still new from when her mommy 'Yoko was a little girl like her. She just did not think that she was as scary as she should be standing there in her nightgown and clutching her stuffed Oki in her right arm. 


	9. Reunions pt 2

Chapter 8: Reunions pt 2  
  
  
Up stairs three individuals start to awaken. The first one after realizing what she had done begins to cry, keeping her golden eyes closed and biting her bottom lip to silence her sobs. The next one to show a sign of awareness, did not do so because of the sent of food or the feel of the warm body she was pressed against. What disturbed her slumber was a sound she thought she would never hear, the sound or her greatest rival and truest friend weeping as if she had lost all hope. Reaching over to the other womans face she gently wipes the tears away before asking the question that is burning in her mind.  
  
"Why are you crying Ryoko?" Ayeka asked in a soft whisper.  
  
"I'm what you keep calling me, Ayeka, last night proved it. I'll leave so Tenchi won't have to be ashamed of having 'been' with me. I won't get between you and Tenchi any more, he deserves some one who can behave properly like you."  
  
The pain and anguish in Ryokos voice and eyes nearly broke Ayekas heart and probably would have if a particularly clever thought had not occurred to her, a thought she just had to share.  
  
"Well Sister dear, it is going to be hard for me to be Tenchis Second Wife with out you there to be the First, is it not?"  
  
"NO," Tenchi said startling both women. "I will not have you numbering your selves like that. It makes it sound as if one is more or less important to me than the others, I will not have it. I love all of you equally. It hurt me even more knowing that my not making a choice was hurting you. The two of you constantly demanding that I choose one of you was like being asked which eye I wanted to keep because the other was going to be cut out. The choice of who to pick was made harder by the fact that as I was trying to sort my feelings for you girls. As got things worked out in my mind, I would discover that I had developed feelings for the one of you that had just joined our little family. I would have to start sorting things out all over again."  
  
"I must say, Lord Tenchi, that I am sorry for my behavior in this matter. If I had thought of how the situation must have been affecting the rest of you, rather than just how I was feeling," As Ayeka continued to speak she moved her right hand from Tenchis' chest to Ryokos' left cheek, "we may have already been married by now."  
  
"At least the others are gone," Tenchi said as he went to move to put his arms around the two of his loves only to find some thing was restraining him. Looking up to see what it was he continued, "I know I'm going to marry all of you but it was rather disconcerting having the others watching us." What he saw was that his arms were tied to the head of the bed, with one of the girls hands tied to each.  
  
Ryoko looked past Tenchis' face to see what was bothering him. Upon seeing the restraints she looked to the princess and with a look of anger and frustration says the first thing that comes to her mind.  
  
"Hay, what gives princess? Afraid Tenchi was going to run off with me and leave you here alone?" Memories of some of the cruel tortures that Kagato had subjected her to as a way of teaching her not to fail him flashing through her mind.   
  
**********  
  
In a region of space just outside of the orbit of the planet farthest from the star known as Sol, three very large flagships exited into normal space. A fleet of ships that numbered in the hundreds followed each of these ships.  
  
One Juraian, one from Sentinel Prime, and the last one was Galaxy Police. Just as the last of the ships in the fleets came out into normal space, a fourth group started arriving. This newest group was vastly different than the previous three, primarily in that it was made up of ships from various planetary systems and types, and secondly in that none of the ships were armed. It would be more appropriate to call them a convoy than a fleet.   
  
As the collection of fleets organized themselves, three women and two men sat down for a meeting on board the flagship of the Juraian fleet. Marshal Anderson of the Galaxy Police, Empresses Funaho and Misaki of Jurai, and the current Director of the Science Academy.  
  
"I believe you all know why we are here today. We are here because," Funaho was cut off when a view screen popped up with a very angry looking Azusa.  
  
"Why was I not informed of that transmission or this meeting?" Azusa barked out.  
  
**********  
  
All Tenchi knew at the moment was that one of those he loved was in need and he was unable to even hold her. He closed his eyes and quickly went through a calming meditation his grandfather had taught him so he would be more affective during emergencies. As he felt the calmness come over him he felt an energy deep within himself begin to build up.  
  
**********  
Deep in a subspace lab, several alarms went off. Programs activated to collect, analyze, and make reports, on the incoming data. And a young girl, surprised at the sudden noise the alarms made, formed and fired her very first energy blast, hitting her dark clad target.  
  
**********  
Ayeka could feel the power building within Tenchi, it worried her. Reaching over to try to calm the first person she could call friend, other than Sasami, she brought voice to her concern.  
  
"Lord Tenchi what are you doing? Ryoko needs help," and at that moment Ayeka was cut off and left speechless by what she was now being witness to.  
  
It started off with the markings of power appearing on Tenchis' head, followed by a simple ball of white light forming above Tenchis' chest. Then a sight she has seen countless times before with her peoples tree-ships, three lines appeared then widened to form Light Hawk Wings. Then some thing happened that had never occurred before in all of Jurais recorded history, like Tenchi even being able to form the wings in the first place. Those three wings split to form six, then those six split again to form twelve. Nothing had ever been ever formed more than six wings other than the Ship of the Beginning, Tsunami and it only formed ten. Seven of those wings then separated from the others five leaving the room, one moved in front of herself and the last moved to in front of Ryoko.  
  
The last thing she was aware of was the sound of dishes crashing down stairs in the hall. The world then went black.  
  
***********  
  
Kiyone is preparing trays of food for Washu and her guests in the lab, as well as a few for the trio still in bed. As she walks through the dining area she pauses to speak.  
  
"Mihoshi said to let every one know that Ryoko is not allowed to have any sake, on account of her condition."  
  
"Ryokos' condition?" Nobuyuki asks, "What is wrong with Ryoko? I thought she was better now."  
  
"Can I tell him Kiyone?" asks Sasami with a mischievous grin.  
  
"Sure Sasami, go ahead and tell him. I'm going to take these trays to Washu and her guests. When you get done explaining things to him could you take the other three to the sleepy heads up stairs?"  
  
Sasami nods to Kiyone then looks over to the new girl before speaking to Nobuyuki.  
  
"Ryoko is Pregnant, father. Is it not wonderful? Now Maya-chan will have a little brother or sister to play with."  
  
Upon seeing Nobuyukis' jaw hanging down Kiyone walks out into the hall towards the door to the lab door. As she was opening the door to the lab she glanced over at the G.P. standing next to it, he did look familiar. Shaking off the feeling she turned her attention to entering the lab. At that moment three light hawk wings moved around in front of her, one stops in front of her the other two continue into the lab. The world starts to fade and she feels a pair of arms catch her as she falls unconscious to the sounds of the trays of dishes shattering to the floor.  
  
********  
  
"Hurry up Mihoshi I need to talk to Mayuka when I'm done with you, she had a nightmare last night. I want to analyze it, she has been showing signs that her 'special' abilities might be beginning to be manifesting themselves."  
  
"And you want to be sure she is being monitored, right Washu?"  
  
Washu then stopped walking and turned to look back to the entrance of the lab.  
  
"What is it Washu? Is something wrong?" Mihoshi asked with concern showing plainly on her face.  
  
"Something is upsetting Ryoko, Mihoshi. I want you to go and check on Maya while I check on her. I'll be right with you, when I'm sure things are ok with Ryoko."  
  
No sooner than she finished speaking than an alarm sounded followed by the sound of a blast and to more alarms sounding in rapid succession. The two women took off running in the direction of the blast. they arrived to see a pale Maya holding her palm out towards the man in black who was hunched over coughing up blood, a set of parallel skid marks on the floor, stopping mere inches from where the woman in white is standing. Before Washu or Mihoshi could ask what was going on they felt something approaching from behind them. When they turned to look they caught a glimpse of a pair of light hawk wings stop a few inches from them. their world went black, the last things they heard was the sound of dishes crashing to the floor and a soft feminine voice.  
  
"It is all right little one, you are not in trouble, everything will be fine."  
  
***********   
  
On the Jurai Royal Flagship the Kouza (Emperors Throne), in a mid sized meeting room.  
  
"What do you mean Husband?" Lady Misaki asked.  
  
"It is a rather odd coincidence, all four of our fleets arriving here at the same time Sister." Said Lady Funaho as she glances over at her Sister-wife.  
  
Azusa opens his mouth to speak, but Misaki interrupts him saying, "I did authorize a research expedition for the Science Academy to study the wreckage of the Soja."  
  
A guard walks up the Funaho, whispers into her ear, hands her some data pads, and then exits.  
  
"The Centennials are requesting authorization to enter Jurai space in order to recover something of importance to their Ruling Cast." Funaho says next.  
  
Grand Marshal Anderson of the Galaxy Police stands and walks over by the two Queens, bows to Azusas image and begins to speak.  
  
"The Galaxy Police are here because of a report by Detective First Class Makibi Kiyone, stating that a Highest Level Special Threat Energy Reaction was detected on Colony World 0315: Earth. We have not heard from either her or her partner Detective First Class Kuramitsu Mihoshi since."  
  
Funaho turns to the Marshal and asks, "Detective First Class Kuramitsu Mihoshi is your Granddaughter, is she not?"  
  
"She is My Lady. Although she can go long periods without sending a progress report during missions, her partner Detective First Class Makibi Kiyone usually makes regular Mission Status Reports. Once a week at minimum. Given the seriousness of her last report, they are long over due." The Marshal replied with a worried tone.  
  
Azusa looks at the people assembled in the room, gazing at each person as if trying to determine the truth of their intentions.  
  
"So you know nothing of the transmission intercepted announcing Ayeka and Sasamis Bondings?" Azusa asks as he returns his gaze back to his wives.  
  
Funaho holds up one of the data pads the guard had just handed her.  
  
"I just received a copy of the message Dear, I think our guests are going to want to see it as well, after all the message is addressed to them also."  
  
Just then three people enter the room: A young woman with long orange hair and purple eyes that were unusual in that the 'whites' were blue. An older gentleman with white hair, a gem in his forehead, and eyes that were all black. Lastly, a young man with short spiky black hair and dark clothing.  
  
Funaho motions for them to take their seats and with a nod from her husband, plays the message.  
  
***********  
  
Moments after Kiyone left to take lunch to Washu and her guests, the others in the dinning room see Sasami stop giggling and look up stairs.  
  
"What are you doing Tenchi, you are using too much energy." Sasami said just before a Light Hawk Wing came floating into the room and stopping in front of her. The sound of dishes crashing to the floor in the hall was heard as they watched her face go blank.  
  
***********  
  
Back in the Masaki dinning room:  
  
Nobuyuki turns to his father-in-law and asks, "What is going on, what should we do to help?"  
  
"Wait, and pray. We don't want to disturb them, in our ignorance of the situation we may cause more harm than good."  
  
"They will be fine," Hiwa says "we just have... to... be... patent." Her voice trailing off as she turns her attention down the hall towards Washus lab. Then with alarm she says "Oh, no!" as she scrambles to get up and runs down the hall.  
  
*******  
  
More will be told in the next chapter: Chapter nine: Reunions pt. 3  
  
P.S.: No not all the girls are in 'heat', just Ryoko (well not any more) and soon Mihoshi. My reasoning for this will be revealed in future chapters. And just to keep your minds out of the sewer (and in the gutter), only Ryoko and Ayeka have been 'intimate' with Tenchi at this point. See all of you next time and if you have any questions or comments, please review or e-mail me @ priest_of_washu@hotmail.com and please keep wrighting all. Ja-ne =(^_^)= 


End file.
